Allsorts Dog Training

04/09/2026

When you have a dog that is suspicious of unfamiliar people then using unfamiliar scent can be an incredibly powerful way to desensitise them.
Every day I make sure Wallace gets to investigate our Air BnBs after the guests check out and before I clean. It’s a real opportunity for him to get used to the smells of other people in our home.
Whenever I work with dogs who struggle with the unfamiliar I think about how we can use their senses - smell, sound, and sight most effectively. Scent is their world and by far the easiest to use passively and actively.
Building a positive pattern with scent is a great first step, you can then add in sound, and then sight (which is often the biggest trigger).
I want Wallace to feel good about the rooms next to where he rests. Letting him have the privilege of exploring them and discovering some potential left over snacks always excites him!
If you want to broaden your dog’s exposure to new people start with their scent. Borrow their clothes, get them to handle some of their toys, get them to wipe their hands on a cloth and rub it around your home, go to a charity shop and pick up some garments.
You can either do generalised desensitisation to a range of scents or build a specific positive association with one or two particular scents through Nosework if you need your dog to be more accepting of someone specific coming in to your home.
It can certainly help reduce their worry as part of a counter conditioning program.

02/09/2026

When Chevy came to live with us a couple of years ago he was everything I love about terriers - smart, confident and independent.
But with that came some behaviours that needed some work. He had learnt some avoidance behaviours and his recall was incredibly hit and miss.
He loved chasing a ball but this was no longer an option as he hasn’t got a single leg that is stable, with surgery on two so far.
So ensuring he could be the terrier he needed to be we worked on safe opportunities for him to hunt, reinforcing any check ins and hanging around me, managing his food values and contexts for earning, and building positivity about recall and going back on lead.
He has come such a long way that he can enjoy a lot more freedom. And what always makes me happy is when I see him look to me for the fun to begin, even on a beach where there are bunnies in the dunes.
He’s such a special, funny dog that you can’t not love. The connection was there from the moment we met and I’m so pleased he came to live with us. Our bionic dog really is the whole package ❤️❤️❤️

02/09/2026

It’s always worth checking op shops for fake fur or real fur clothing. Picked up a jacket cheap as.
Ripped off the arms, tied them in a knot. Et Voila! Murphys new favourite toy.
I’ll be using bits for making a tug and a lure too, for training. I love op shops, I get my dopamine hit too!!!

01/09/2026

Creating a ‘lift’ and ‘stop’ behaviour can be genetically appealing to some dogs like my Heading Dog Luna. So calling her then stopping her and calling her again and so on, builds the anticipation to be released to chase to her toy.
She’s not doing it because she’s compliant. That’s not how I train. She’s doing it because she’s learnt stalking feels good, which I captured, shaped, then added her known ‘down’ cue. Her behaviour is a predictor for the outcome she wants. She’s invested because it’s in her interests and it makes her feel good, naturally.

Apologies for the sound quality, it was a little windy today!

31/08/2026

If you’re looking for a hobby for your dog that makes sense to them, then come and discover scent work. It’s one of the best way to mentally and physically tire your dogs out.

Tapping in to their natural skills, you’ll develop your relationship, your understanding and skills you can use to build confidence, focus and enrichment.

Want to know more? Then check out what’s going to be coming up over the next few months and jump right in before someone beats you to it!
Limited spots, all dogs welcome (reactive dogs accommodated by arrangement), no experience necessary.

For more info or to register go to
Allsortsdogtraining.co.nz

28/08/2026

TRAILS OPEN THIS WEEKEND - after two days of wet and wild weather we’re pleased to report no damage was done so the trails will be open again this weekend.
It’s muddy though so gumboots/hiking boots advisable.
Bookings by arrangement. Must complete an induction walk and complete our disclaimer form before going alone.
Dogs must be fully vaccinated.

27/08/2026

📢 Allsorts Dog Training – Important Booking Update

Hi everyone! Just a quick heads up that I’ll be away in the North Island with my dog crew from 15 September until 2 October.

If you’d like a training session, behaviour consultation, or follow-up appointment before I leave, please make sure your booking is completed by 12 August, as appointment availability is limited.

Thank you for your understanding, and I look forward to helping you and your dogs before I head away!

🐾 Estelle - Allsorts Dog Training
Helping dogs and their people thrive.

25/08/2026

Scavenging is all part of a dog’s being and so how you deal with when it happens can strongly influence the outcome.
I had 9 dogs out at this time so you’d think they’d all fight over the dead hare. But in my experience a dead, cold one has a lot less appeal than a live, warm, moving one.
So managing this situation wasn’t too difficult. Hope carried it to the path and promptly dropped it and moved away. The others sniffed it but you’ll see they were only interested in it when I picked it up.
This was less about possession and more about the fact they thought it was still alive because it moved and it might need finishing off. That’s a terriers job!
But scattering food they actually want meant I could pick the hare up and dispose of it without too much fuss. Although the smell of it was rather disgusting.

25/08/2026

This is a topic close to my heart, not only because Sarah worked with me when she had Charlie but because Behavioural Euthanasia is something I’ve had to do too. Every case is different and the mixed emotions that can come with it continue to live with you even when they are gone.
Sarah bravely opens up about her journey with Charlie and her current dog Koda.

It’s important to create space to remember, to grieve, and to love, no matter how long it’s been since loss.

Charlie has and always will be such an integral part of Journey, the way we train, and learn always. It was an honour to be able to share her story with Samara from Shy Dog Diaries , a safe space to have grief, relief, and the complicated feelings that behavioural euthanasia evokes.

Thank you for taking the time to listen, if you’d like to join us:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5z7AnGOpJWODrTLhPURjmD?si=UuSLKRbPQLSEPlS5xovzXQ&utm_source=copy-link

24/08/2026

INDICATION - Tonight our Nosework teams will be building a clearer indication on scent.
Dogs naturally indicate things to us all the time, like Chevy here wanting a particular item out of the bowl on the stairs.
So why do we build a more specific behaviour for when dogs alert to us they have found the scent?
When is the right time to build a more formalised indication?
Is it really necessary?

These are the things to consider:
✅❌ How good is your dogs search pattern behaviour?
✅❌ How good are you at reading your dog’s body language?
✅❌ What indication behaviour comes naturally to YOUR dog?
✅❌ What is the goal of producing a more formalised alert behaviour?
✅❌ Is it the right time to shape one or do you need more searching experience?
✅❌ Don’t you train the indication behaviour first to avoid false indications?
✅❌ I’ve seen various methods to achieve this, I’m confused which to use?
✅❌ Is it going to confuse my dog or benefit it?

These are the things we’re going to work through tonight. As with any training I do I like to discuss all these things with my students. Whilst I could just show them what to do I prefer to go through the pros and cons of everything. Understanding the process is so important, whether you’re a beginner or not. It ensures you have a clearer pathway for training and understanding your dog’s behaviour in any work they do. Doing it just because that’s how you’ve been told to do it can leave you with problems further down the line if you’re not careful. Working with each dog and each individual, to what suits them best is critical.
A one size fits all approach isn’t always the best way forward for success.